St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-08

| newspapers, not under the influence OF
| excitement, but in cold blood, in order
| to incite the masses to violence. We
should probably hear less of them as
| objects of sentimental interest and hear
| less of the half-veiieI federation with
really believe" that the social order is
all wrong, and they ought to be allowed
| to right it with dynamite. The spirit
| Of Guiteau was peace itself compared
with the malignity of these human rat
tlesnakes They should be crushed
under foot, because, under the laws of
| the country, they have earned DEATH"
THE WORLD SAYS:
''If the police are not protected by the
| laws i'm the di charge of their duty they
can scarcely be expected to over-exert
| themselves in that particular. The
issue is mainly between the prOpriety
mental dislike to taking human life"
THE HERALD SAYS:
"We hesitate to express an opinion in
| regard to human beings whose lives are
| hanging in the balance. But society de-
serves some consideration in the pres
ence of crime as fierce as that commit
| ted by these condemned, and which it
would seem they were preparing to re-
peat. Gov. Oglesby has expressed no
| opinion as to what his action will be i'll
regard to these criminals. With him
! lies the power of pardon or reprieval.
If they are to die ON Friday humanity
would dictate that they should know
| their fate in time to make decent prep
aratiOns for the end. Gov. OgleSby has
had weeks, even months, in which to
examine this case. His delay adds the
inhumanity of torture to what may be
terrible punishment -
THE TIMES SAYS:
in general it is very ungraciOus act
to interpOSe in any way between per-
son under sentence of death and the
official to whom an appeal is made on
behalf for executive clemency.' The
case of the condemned anarchists does
not come within the general rule. Peti-
tiOnS for a communication of their SEN
tence have been signed by several citi
ZenS of high standing who put their APP
peal solely upon the ground of public
policy. There are other petitioners and
SignerS who are of the SOft-hearted and
soft-headed kind of people, to whom it
appears very dreadful that anybody
should be done to death by law for any
offense whatsoever. There is no use in
discussing anything with these people.
If no others had appealed to the gov
ernOr of Illinois for mercy, there would
be no occasion for any remarks by those
whose interest in the matter is simply
that of supporters of order and friends
of civilization. But if those who hold
that justice and policy require that the
sentence of the court should be eXecut-
ed remain silent, Gov. Oglesby will be
justified i'll supposing that they ac-
quiesce in the appeal for him to
spare the lives of the murdererS,
Clearly there never was case
that appealed less to any sentiment of
human pity. If we take the view that
punishment should be retributive, there
was never filter occasion for the intlic-
ton by soc ETY. of retributiOn on its enc
mics. I1 we take the view that punish
ment is exemplary, the case seems TO be
equally clear. and yet it is in this view
that the execution of the sentence is
deprecated by some men of high stand
ing i'll Chicago, of whom the most dis
tinguished is Mr.. Trumbull. Mr.,
Trumbull's own connection with the
case as counsel for the prisoners has
been such, and so much use has BEEN
made by them of the argument that he
made professionally and under his re-
tanner, that his present declaration now.
does not carry anything like the light
that would belong to it if he spoke
merely as disintereSted citizen. AS a
question of public policy it seems to us
that these petitioners have made a
grave mistake. TIE question is, will
it pay to treat murderer who calls
himself an anarchist differently from
murderer who makes 10 such preten-
SiOns? If it be understood that the
crimes of anarchists are to be regarded,
either by courts or by governors, as in
some way more eXcuSable than the same
crimes when not committed by anarch-
lists, we will have gone some distance
toward putting anarchy on the footing
of religious belief, although we do
not allow religious belief to excuse
illegal acts. The real question is
whether other anarchists will be more
effectually deferred from committing
other murders if they have reason to
believe that they will be sent to prison,
or if they have reason to believe that
they will be hanged by the neck until
they are dead. To ask this question is
to answer it. 1t is not wonderful that the
police of Chicago are profoundly dis
gusted with the efforts to procure a
Communication of the sentence of death.
They believe that their lives will be in
more danger il the lives of their muir
derers are spared than if they are
taken. Of this they are very good
Judges. 1t is to be hoped and believed
that Gov. OgleSby will refuse to inter-
fere to save the lives of men who are
as dangerous to any community as an
equal number of mad dogs"
IN PHILADELPHIA.
The Philadelphia Press says: s'If
mercy is permitted to season justice in
the case of the Chicago anarchists. it
should be to make penitents and not
heroes of its receivers. The efforts
which are making in behalf of the con-
demned murdererS look more like an at
tempt to intimidate the law and its
officers rather than like an attempt to
WIN executive clemency."
The Philadelphia Times says: ga
Chicagoan wants the sentence of the
anarchist murdererS committed because
their crime lis not all ordinary case of
physical assassination For that mat
ter the bank cashier who spends mill
ion is not guilty of ordinary physical
larceny. but he is thief all the same.
Has it come to this, that only ordinary
crimes are to be punished, while mon
strOsitieS are to be cohdOned and adj
mired?'
The Philadelphia Ledger says: But
few traits are more characteristic of
amiably weak human nature than that
of few persons permitting their ten
der sentiment for condemned criminals
to interfere and defeat that justice
which is due for tie protection of the
whole community. There can be no
doubt that large majority of those who
do not interfere with the proper course
of justice are as tender-hearted and as
merciful as the average of those who
do, but the mercy of these is tempered
with wisdom, by consideration for the
injured and outraged, for the suffering
and dire affection of the survivors of
the murdered, and for what is necessary
for the vindication of law and protec-
ton to society. They are merciful. but